


One step at a time

by slof



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Fluff, Hanamaki chubby cheeks cause yes, Idk tags who does, Kitten, M/M, soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-22
Updated: 2020-10-22
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:34:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,430
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27151852
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/slof/pseuds/slof
Summary: Lucky for Hanamaki, Matsukawa has a soft spot for him
Relationships: Hanamaki Takahiro/Matsukawa Issei
Comments: 2
Kudos: 46
Collections: Matsuhana Fluff Week 2020





	One step at a time

**Author's Note:**

> Pets; watching each other sleep “I’ll be here to protect you.”

Living with Matsukawa Issei was always a struggle, Takahiro learned that four years ago when they moved in with each other after high school. It wasn’t that Issei himself was a struggle, it was his how he turned down Takahiro three years ago when he asked him a question — one line, five words.

_ “Can we get a dog?” _

Issei had shut down Takahiro so quickly it made the cream puff lover’s head spin. He furrowed his eyebrows and glared at the taller one. Issei wasn’t even looking at him when he turned him down. He was focused on the textbook that laid flat on the kitchen table, pen held in his hand as he hovered over the words and moved the tip along as he read. 

Though that was three years ago, and that was when Takahiro and Issei were just close best friends. Now, Takahiro had a little trick up his sleeve, a special card to pull — the boyfriend card.

  
  


Takahiro looked over his shoulder at the sound of someone opening the front door. He lowered the newspaper into his lap, grinning as he waited for the other one to come into the room he was in. Impatiently, Takahiro sat boiling on the couch, watching as the taller one walked in.

The slouch and tired face Issei made had Takahiro think twice about the question he wanted to ask. 

“Tough day at work, huh?” Takahiro called out instead. Issei’s attention drew to Takahiro on the couch, and the corner of his mouth curved up when he saw him. He let out a light chuckle, setting the laptop case on the counter as he tugged on the tie of his suit.

“Tough day,” he replied, walking over. He draped himself over the couch. With how tall he was, he was if Takahiro tossed a King sized blanket over the back of it. “What are you reading?”

“Well,” Takahiro began to say. Issei’s mopey state made him afraid to ask. It wasn’t that he was afraid of Issei, he was pretty sure Issei could never really get mad at him. It was that he probably didn’t want to hear what Takahiro was planning on saying after what seemed like a long day of work. “Nothing, actually,” he muttered instead.  Takahiro decided against it. Issei was tired, and it wasn’t as if Takahiro worked and could understand the exhaustion of a nine to five that sometimes lasted longer.  “Nothing,” he repeated. “Dinner should still be warm. I wrapped it up only a few minutes ago.”

“You’re joking,” Issei said as he slowly lifted his head. Takahiro just smiled in return, folding up the newspaper so Issei couldn’t catch sight of the page he was looking at. When Takahiro looked toward the coffee table to aim a spot to toss the paper, Issei reached over, placing a quick kiss on his cheek. “You’re losing it a little, Hiro," Issei commented.

Takahiro put a hand to his cheek, looking over with a slight pout. “What’s that supposed to mean?” He mumbled. Issei grinned, lifting his hand to pinch the fat on Takahiro’s face. 

“You’re getting soft — literally.”

“Are you calling me fat?”

Issei just grinned and lifted himself off the couch. He slowly made his way into the kitchen. Takahiro scoffed, rolling his eyes as he grabbed out his phone. 

“Asshole,” he hissed under his breath, yet a smile crept on his face. 

* * *

With his gaze fixated on the spinning ceiling fan, Takahiro let out a quiet sigh. The room’s lights were shut off, the air was pushed around the room in a chilling breeze, the smell of Issei’s shampoo was strong as Issei’s hair made the pillow damp from his shower. The cream puff lower twisted his finger around the sheets of the bed, chewing his lip in thought. 

“Takahiro.”

“Mhm?” Takahiro turned his head. “I thought you were sleeping, ‘Ssei,” he said in a whisper even though they were the only two people in the house. He kept his voice quiet for the half awake man next to him.

“I would be,” Issei began to say, and he turned in bed, his arm snaking to Takahiro’s waist, fingers grazing along his bare stomach as they hooked around his hip and pulled him closer. He slipped his arm under Takahiro’s head, moving his face in the crook of the other’s neck. “But you’re not.”

“Don’t worry about me,” Takahiro said. “Go back to sleep.”

Issei mumbled something, it wasn’t words, but he kissed underneath Takahiro’s jaw before tucking his face in his neck. One breath of relief let out before he fell off to sleep. 

* * *

Waking up early for work, Issei slipped from the comfort of his bed — and of his boyfriend — before making his way out of the bedroom on his tiptoes. He started a pot of coffee before making his way to the living room. At first, he was going to turn on the TV and maybe watch the early news before he had to head off to work, though his eyes landed on the newspaper Takahiro had been reading last night. 

He picked it up, making his way into the kitchen as he scanned through it. Flipping pages, his eyes stopped on one of the middle pages, looking down at the light grey paper that had been scribbled and blotted with random inkings.

It was the page filled with adoptions for pets at a local shelter, a picture of a black cat with bright, yellow eyes was circled around a million times. There were stupid, cute hearts surrounded it. In Takahiro’s sloppy handwriting was written:  _ ‘Issei, please please please please she’s beautiful. I want her.’  _

Issei couldn’t argue, she was a beautiful kitty. 

Was this what had been on Takahiro’s mind all day and all night? Issei sighed and folded the paper again. That was another thing to think about.

* * *

Takahiro sat in the living room on the animal shelter website, staring at photos of the same black kitten he had observed from about a week ago. It had taken a whole week for someone to adopt the kitten. With a frown on his face, Takahiro reached forward to scratch the screen as if he was petting the kitty. So badly he wanted her, but she was already on her way to another home. Just thirty minutes ago she was adopted. He had gotten an email from the pet shelter telling him since they knew he was interested.

With a disappointed, sad sigh, he set the laptop on the coffee table and fell back on the couch. 

  
  


After a while, he was being shaken awake, a soft voice calling out to him. The tone of the other’s voice made him sigh deeply as he pushed his face into the cushion. Slowly, he peeked his eyes open, still half awake and drowsy.

“‘Ssei?” Takahiro muttered, and weakly he reached forward, dancing his fingers in the sleeve of Issei’s jacket. “What’s up?” He asked. His speech slurred slightly as he spoke, and he didn't even try to lift his head from the couch.

“I got you a surprise.”

“Woo wee,” Takahiro said weakly with a slight chuckle, eyes threatening to flutter shut. “What’s it?”

“Here.” Takahiro could hear some rattling, but he couldn’t pinpoint what it was. He only took notice when he felt Issei lift his arm and slip something warm underneath before setting it back down. “There.”

“What’s it?” Takahiro asked again, rolling his head on the cushion. Issei smiled, and he laughed, moving to pick up a soft pillow before he slipped it under Takahrio’s head. He found a nearby blanket and laid it over top of him.

“You’ll see in the morning.”

“Mmkay, night-night, ‘Ssei,” he muttered before falling back asleep.

  
  


Issei smiled as he looked at his sleeping boyfriend, the new kitten he was completely unaware of tucked under his arm, already fast asleep with the other. He reached forward, lightly letting his fingers run in his hair before he let out a deep sigh.

_‘I’ll be here to protect you,’_ Issei thought, a warm feeling kicking him in the heart. _‘First a kitty,’_ Issei let his fingers drop from Takahiro’s hair as he stood, _‘I’ll make the next something even better.’_ He put his hand over Takahiro's, finger lightly scratching the ring finger missing the jewelry. _'Second a ring. I just have to get enough money to buy it.'_ Issei leaned down for a quick kiss to his boyfriend’s temple. _‘Honestly, he'd probably be fine with a ring pop. I fell in love with an idiot.'_


End file.
